Joining the California exodus. Restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump is closing her famed location in West Hollywood after a decade in the business. Pump Restaurant Lounge, at the corner of Santa Monica and Robertson is closing its doors for good.
The establishment gained fame on Lisa’s reality TV show Vanderpump Rules. Those Pride Parades were dynamite. And who can forget volatile cast fights? It just comes with the territory of being a Vanderpump restaurant.
Soaring rent is to blame
The official Pump Family twitter page posted the following statement, “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees.”
But Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, are still very much in the game. The business magnates are opening two new restaurants at Caesars in Vegas.
The rent for Pump skyrocketed. And Ken couldn’t agree on the new terms. Had they stayed open, they would be paying nearly $1 million a year in rent.
The official statement continued, “While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable.”
The couple also had to close Villa Blanca in 2020 for the same reason. And that Beverly Hills location has remained empty for the last three years. Pump managed to stay open through the pandemic, though the restaurant was briefly suspended for unpaid taxes.
Pump will stay open through June, in honor of Pride Month. Lisa has taken the movement to heart, and hosts annual parties at the restaurant for Pride Month. She wanted to “support the local community with one last hurrah.”
Sur and TomTom, Lisa and Ken’s other LA restaurants, have not been catastrophically affected by soaring rent. They will remain open. Presumably, the goat cheese balls really sell.
The Pump spokesperson concluded, “We look forward to welcoming you all to TomTom & Sur in the months following! Thank you for the past decade of support, we have loved our staff, our patrons and our time together.”
Besides being featured on Vanderpump Rules, the restaurant also hosted the likes of Lady Gaga and Lance Bass, among many celebrities.
TELL US – WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO PUMP CLOSING? DO YOU THINK TOMTOM AND SUR WILL STAY OPEN? ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE NEW RESTAURANTS THAT LISA WILL OPEN IN VEGAS?
